In the Late Middle Ages, Popes were very powerful. They controlled the church for eastern and western Europe. There were popes in the east, but mostly bishops controlled the church in the east. In the Holy Roman Empire, Leaders like Constantine could be friends with the pope to stay on the throne longer.

I think this is good, because if you weren't friends with the pope and you did something bad, you would probably get excommunicated, and nobody wants to go to hell. If you were friends with the pope, if you did something bad, the pope would give y